How to leave a legacy this Remember a Charity Week

Leading law firm Blake Morgan is encouraging people to support good causes by thinking twice when making a Will as the firm marks this year’s Remember a Charity Week.

Now in its ninth year, ‘Remember a Charity Week’ encourages people to think about legacy giving in a Will. Each year, more than £2.8bn is donated this way and helps provide a vital funding stream for a wide range of local, national and international charities.

However, Blake Morgan is warning people that it’s important not to be too specific when putting arrangements in place and instead engage with the charity – or charities – of choice as well as a reputable firm so any legacy can be used in full and in the right way.

Alison Craggs, Associate at Blake Morgan, said: “Leaving a legacy in your Will is a fantastic way to leave a lasting positive impact on wider society – and potentially for people and causes most in need – but it’s important to think carefully about exactly how you make arrangements in your Will.

“For example, while you might want to leave a gift in your Will for a specific purpose – such as £1,000 to a local church for roof repairs – if that work isn’t required in the event of your death, or if there’s a better way to use the funding, then it can stop the charity accessing your legacy. Instead, rather than saying funds must be used for a particular purpose, it may be better to express a non-binding wish as to how you want the funds to be used. That makes it far easier for a charity to access legacy donations for their good work.

“And if you’re keen to make a legacy donation, but you’re not sure which cause best suits you, then you can visit the new ‘Human Search Engine’ which has been set up by more than 200 charities to help highlight how different charities tackle different issues. By asking the search engine questions about issues such tackling homeless, preventing illnesses, or protecting endangered animals, it’s hoped people can better understand who they can leave a legacy to, and how their donation will be used.”

For more information on Remember a Charity Week visit: www.rememberacharity.org.uk. You can also access the new ‘human’ search engine which allows the public to directly ask more than 200 charities, their beneficiaries and supporters about the work they do and their goals for the future – so individuals can pinpoint how they would like their legacy to be used. The search engine can be found at: www.humansearchengine.org

Blake Morgan’s wills, probate, tax and trusts team provides specialist advice on all aspects of inheritance planning and offers a tailored service to make sure clients’ estates are handled according to their wishes.